Currently and particularly in the aeronautical industry massive use is made of composite materials with an organic matrix and continuous fibres principally based on epoxy resins and carbon fibres in a wide variety of structural elements.
Aeronautical structures require, as is well known, the integration of various structural elements. For example, fuselages require the integration of skins with different structural elements such as beams, jambs and stringers. Unlike when metal materials were used where the use of mechanical joints was practically the only option for integrating the various structural elements of a given component, composite materials can also be integrated using chemical joints.
In certain aeronautical structures, two components must be joined such that there is an efficient transmission of load between both components which normally requires the use of intermediate parts. This occurs in particular when joining the lateral boxes of a horizontal stabiliser of an aircraft since the horizontal tail stabilizer must behave like a structural unit. Furthermore, the joint is subjected both to aerodynamic loads and to the loads generated by the mechanism used to trim the horizontal stabiliser.
As it is a problematic joint there have been various proposals both for shear joints and for traction joints and using intermediate parts made of metal, composite or mixed materials.
In one of these proposals, described in US 2009159742, a double T-shaped intermediate part made of composite material is used.
The use of these intermediate parts may be problematic for certain configurations of lateral boxes of horizontal tail stabilisers as well as for the integration of the fittings required for the trimming devices.
This invention is intended to resolve these problems.